Profits Jump At Lidl GB As It Prepares To Open 1,000th Store
Monday, 10 November 2025
DCS Agrees Branded Supply Deal With M&S Food Following Its Move Away From Booker
DCS Agrees Branded Supply Deal With M&S Food Following Its Move Away From Booker
Weeks after ditching Booker in favour of A.F. Blakemore for the supply of branded chilled and ambient food products, M&S Food has switched to DCS Group for branded household, toiletries, and health & beauty lines.
According to trade publication The Grocer, the FMCG distributor has replaced the Tesco-owned wholesaler in supplying over 90 SKUs to M&S, ranging from Pampers to Colgate and Calpol, and making up most of the retailer’s branded non-food offering.
Both moves ended a supply relationship that had existed between M&S and Booker for more than 15 years.
DCS had already been working with M&S in trials of new branded lines since October last year.
A DCS spokesperson is quoted by The Grocer as saying: “Leveraging its extensive category expertise and long-standing relationships with leading FMCG brands such as P&G, Unilever and Colgate, DCS Group is well positioned to enhance M&S’s branded offer and deliver increased value and availability to customers.”
DCS Chief Executive Michael Lorimer added: “We are delighted to be partnering with M&S, a business that shares our focus on quality, innovation and outstanding customer service.
“Our strength lies in our category knowledge, deep brand partnerships and supply chain expertise. By combining these with M&S’s customer-first approach, we look forward to creating real value for M&S shoppers while ensuring seamless, reliable distribution. This is a major milestone as we continue our growth trajectory.”
NamNews Implications:
* Some suppliers and rival retailers may take time to wonder why M&S and Booker terminated a 15-year relationship…
* Meanwhile, M&S will simply focus on optimising its new partnerships in order to benefit its customers.
* Resulting in increased sales per trip and repeat sales.
Watch this space…
MarksNSpencer
Lidl Integrates Payment Feature Into Rewards App
Lidl Integrates Payment Feature Into Rewards App
Lidl GB has taken another step in transforming its in-store checkout experience with the launch of Lidl Pay, a payment feature integrated directly into the discounter’s increasingly popular rewards app.
The retailer noted that the move comes as Lidl Plus continues to gain traction among shoppers, with the number of monthly active users growing by over a third in the past year. The surge is said to reflect increasing customer engagement with the app’s personalised offers and digital features.
The introduction of Lidl Pay will allow users to activate their Lidl Plus coupons and offers, and complete their purchases either at staffed tills or self-checkout terminals, all through the app.
“The integration of payment functionality into the Lidl Plus app represents a step forward in our digital evolution,” said Shyam Unarket, customer relations director at Lidl GB.
“We are committed to investing in technologies that simplify the customer journey and offer greater flexibility in how people shop with us. Whether customers prefer using traditional tills or self-checkouts, we want to ensure that every shopper can choose the experience that best suits them.”
The introduction of Lidl Pay comes amid the rollout of self-checkouts in its stores and the recent introduction of a Click, Reserve & Collect service via the app. The discounter is also currently testing a scan & shop feature in four stores, ahead of an expected rollout next year.
NamNews Implications:
* Lidl’s payment feature will be watched by rivals…
* …both in terms of effect on market share growth…
* …and also as an incentive for incorporating within their offerings.
* Ditto the scan & shop feature.
* Meanwhile, Aldi?
LidlApp LidlPay
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Lidl GB saw significantly improved results in its last financial year due to store expansion and its success in attracting shoppers with low prices and its loyalty scheme.
During the year to 28 February 2025, the discounter’s revenue climbed 7.9% to £11.7bn after 38 million more customer visits were made to its stores than in the 12 months prior. Lidl noted that it experienced over £400m in direct switching from competitors as well as almost £500m in growth from customer loyalty, totalling an almost £900m increase in turnover.
The growth in shopper numbers and recent investments in its operations drove pre-tax profit up from £43.6m to £156.8m, while operating profit jumped 42.3% to £314.1m.
Lidl noted that it has maintained its position as the fastest-growing bricks & mortar grocer for more than two years, driven by its commitment to low prices and investment in the business. This has included new store openings, as well as improvements to its existing sites and warehouses. The discounter also highlighted that its popular Lidl Plus loyalty scheme was continuing to drive footfall to stores.
Latest Worldpanel by Numerator data shows Lidl now controls 8.2% of the grocery market, edging it closer to overtaking Morrisons, which has a share of 8.3%.
“Our results reflect the momentum we’ve built and the trust shoppers place in us. More households are choosing to shop with us more often, because we continue to deliver on our promise of outstanding quality at the lowest possible prices,” said Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO.
“Over the last year, we have continued to operate with our discounter efficiency at the heart of everything we do, all the while investing strategically in areas that will benefit our people, suppliers and communities.
This continues to set Lidl apart, and I’d like to thank all colleagues for their support this year in driving our strategy forward. The fact we have maintained the title of fastest-growing bricks-and-mortar supermarket is testament to them.”
Lidl will mark a major milestone next month when it opens its 1,000th store in the UK as it enters its fourth decade in the country. The discounter will open 13 new stores between now and Christmas, with a total of 40 new outlets before the end of its current financial year.
NamNews Implications:
* Lidl continues to prove it is a retailer made for unprecedented times.
* With a loyalty scheme that shows it can play with the Big Boys.
* * OK, some of its growth comes via footprint extension…
* …but Lidl results are increasingly showing that suppliers not engaging with them are missing a trick.
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